We Need a War
by Kiwisilence
Summary: Tired of dealing with the Titans, Beast Boy begins secretly plotting to shatter his weak image and fight the Titans. Red-X/Beast Boy slash. Character death.
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans and I am not recieving any profits...so there!

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Chapter 1: Introduction

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The bedroom was chilled in frozen airs as he opened his eyes up that morning. The coldness of the room cooled his eyelids and gave him a moment of clarity. He did not feel warm and deluded by any heated emotions. The cold embraced him and nourished his perception. He had always liked the cold darkness of his room.

Beast Boy was not a warm person.

He rose proudly from the trenches of his rigid bed to wake up and greet another day. He plastered another happy-go-lucky smile on his face that could have been pictured on any of the idiotic children's TV shows that Cyborg enforced upon the Titans' TV. Another cold day… he felt too detached from his fellow Titans to ever feel like they were his friends. They were beneath him mentally. They were taller than him, but their heights only served as an inverse relationship between their heights and their intelligence. Their false senses of superiority couldn't compare to him.

No, they were beneath the _real_ him: the cold and calculating him. Even Raven and her empath powers could not dissolve Beast Boy's cheery façade and reveal his inner self. Under his nauseatingly green flesh, he was even darker and more twisted than her. While Raven was one of those whiny, depressed mall Goth types who wrote poetry about feeling like a criminal and being in love with bad boys, Beast Boy actually went out and actually committed the acts. Who would ever suspect Beast Boy?

Raven's empath abilities sensed that he was constantly happy, but in truth, he was jovial about plotting against the Titans. He fantasized so many ways to defeat them: his only comfort while being bound in the Tower.

They thought he actually liked trite things like playing video games and devouring food. His false obsessions over such things should not have been believable. Every bad B-movie and science fiction plotline would have shown that the Titans that he was not to be trusted. He wasn't even a vegan; it had been a front to make them see him as weak and "kind towards the poor little animals."

Beast Boy wasn't kind, but cruel towards animals. The true animals, his fellow Titans, deserved punishment.

The Titans were not as unintelligent as he derided them: they were certainly smarter than the average teen, but did that really mean anything? Robin, despite his tactical and suspicious mind that could have been a problem to Beast Boy, valued and trusted his friends too much. His trust in his fellow Titans and support of them was zealous.

Exploiting Robin's trust was effortless. It helped that Robin had feelings for Beast Boy as more than a friend. Despite that Beast Boy felt his body to be obnoxious and almost comical in how underdeveloped and child-like it seemed (never mind its green color), Robin's feelings for Beast Boy couldn't be denied. Robin's affection for Beast Boy was certifiable proof of his mental unfitness. Their bodies barely qualified as teenagers in how monstrously thin they were.

Toying with Robin's emotions and arousing jealousy from Starfire were some of the rare times that Beast Boy felt as overjoyed as he pretended to be. No, he felt almost intoxicated by manipulating them. Lately, Raven had been giving him strange looks lately when he was around Robin. He must be more careful, but he didn't think that Raven would suspect anything.

In the beginning, Robin had done most of the early flirting and subtle hints at wanting more. All that Beast Boy had to do was act mechanically and pretend to be his usual self. Robin would "coincidentally" brush into him during sparring or touch his hands and shoulders while sitting with the rest of the Titans in the living room watching another brutal round of movies. Of course, Starfire noticed; she observed everything that happened with Robin on a level that rivaled the most dedicated of the Titan's stalkers.

A few nights ago, Beast Boy "randomly" asked Robin to stay beside him in his room while he was recovering from an injury during a mission. Robin didn't need to know that Beast By had purposely dislodged his leg, right? Robin had been close to kissing Beast Boy, but the fashionably challenged, primary color-monstrosity had refrained from taking that kiss. It was a first step anyway; more could happen later when Beast Boy wanted something. Thoughts of Starfire's reaction to Beast Boy finally succeeding in claiming Robin flashed though his mind.

Had Robin ever been interested in Starfire?

Probably not: even in the beginning of Starfire's "flirtation" with Robin, he had never responded to her advances. It's not like she wasn't pretty; Beast Boy could appreciate her beauty, but her overpowering naivety and Tameranean background made her unbearable. Some people were just so annoying that sane people such as himself shouldn't have to deal with those lesser beings.

Beast Boy had appreciated the criminals that the Titans fought more his fellow teammates. The villains might have been simple-minded, but at least they were attractive in a distinct way. The villains of Jump could have been described as the rejects from a model shoot that had been flooded in radioactive rivers of chemicals. Each villain was exotic, dark, and forboding in appearance. Always interesting no matter how grotesque and horrid they looked compared to regular people. Despite this, their brainless criminal ploys rivaled the Titan's stupidity and disheartened Beast Boy's interest in them.

The Criminals of Jump were all the same: cast from the same paltry background and always lusting for more money and nothing else. Money, money, money. Not one of the Titan's enemies craved true, undiluted power and dominance. Slade did, but the Titans hadn't dealt with him in almost a year. Beast Boy had hoped that Slade would have returned by now, but he dashed those hopes and decided to be more realistic. Beast Boy could be the villain or trick lackeys into cleverly calculated plans to fight the Titans and make missions more interesting. Money was always involved with pettier criminals. Money was the stich that bound those villains together and drove them; they were too primitive to have complex reasons for their crimes.

So why? Why was he still one of the Titans when he could have easily defected and defeated them?

Public image. Even Beast Boy understood the benefits of swaying public support. While his fellow Titans had distanced themselves from the media and their fans, Beast Boy had embraced his sheep. He was now the most popular of the Titans not just among Jump, but wherever the Titans broke headlines. Raven was a loner, so despite being his biggest threat other than Robin, she would never to able to rile the masses against Beast Boy. The Titans' fans supported him and would commit to whatever cause Beast Boy wanted them to support. The public could be easily manipulated into hating Raven, for which, Beast Boy could have a reason to put her down. Robin and Cyborg rivaled Raven in their isolation from the public. Starfire could have been a threat, but her inability to understand human culture and language prevented that from ever happening.

He didn't want to fight Raven though; he liked her despite her obliviousness to his plotting. Her pessimism was refreshing amongst the Titans.

His celebrity kept growing, but his criminal life was no longer just a fledgling interest. The Titans seized a lot of evidence, weapons and other technology from the criminals, which could easily be stolen from the Tower and right back to the criminals. Never mind that those criminals didn't know who was selling them back their belongings; they weren't cunning enough to try and find out who he was. They paid quite handsomely because they felt like they were the ones who had tricked the Titans.

He hadn't been involved in any bank robberies or other petty thefts that the Jump criminals tried repeatedly like animals but to no avail. No, he had just looked the other way and accepted the bribes of certain criminals. He wasn't as money driven as they were, but Beast Boy could appreciate the value of cold-hard-cash money and criminal connections if he would ever finally defect from the Titans. His criminal network was growing.

Beast Boy had gathered information, technology, and every password and file related to the Titans and planned to give it to ones he deemed worthy, but so far he had only helped Red-X. It's not like any of them would ever win in the end even if every criminal fully knew the Titan's tactics and technology. Beast Boy always restrained himself from ever showing his full potential anyway and purposely flubbed his attacks. Pretending to be pathetic at combat was another rare thing that made him smile and not that cheerful toothy grin he showed to the Titans. Despite this, all of the Titan's fights had been easy and would still be easy even when Beast Boy would be frail and close to death. Robin still somehow believed that their fights with villains weren't predictable.

He wondered what would happen if he would fight to his full ability, perhaps during a practice session with the Titans. He could easily take on his other four teammates, but how would they react? Supportive? Jealous? Or would their view of him finally be shattered? They somehow still believed that their green transformer was weak. Cyborg had originally befriended because he believed Beast Boy needed to be protected. What would Cyborg do if Beast Boy knocked him out unconscious?

In a worst case scenario, they would be suspicious, but they would probably try to overanalyze the situation and deride Beast Boy as depressed and violent. They would never went to believe that meek little Beast Boy could ever deceive them. In all probability, they were more likely to be supportive. Robin and his heroic ego would believe that his tutelage had finally changed Beast Boy. Even if Beast Boy stopped hiding his strength, he would never reveal his criminal activities until he was engaged in an open war with them. Secrecy was what he traveled and reveled in.

Beast Boy gathered the stolen pouch of Robin's weaponry and video archives of his battles. They could easily be studied to defeat Robin. The pouch also included the data needed to hack into the Tower's defenses. Beast Boy didn't even need to study Robin or the others to be able to defeat them in combat, but he must continue to cloak his strength for now.

He had chosen to help Red-X for simple reasons really. Red-X was the antithesis to Robin: a villain born from Robin's own past. Red-X was the perfect rival. As a villain, Beast Boy knew that Red-X wasn't as money-crazed as his thieving led his fellow Titans to believe. Red-X loved the sport of fighting the Titans and understood the absurdity of their crime fighting. Beast Boy dreamt about joining Red-X and fighting his teammates, but that could not happen soon.

Red-X had agreed to meet Beast Boy in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town. Jump was never as prosperous as the people believed. Its poverty and degradation was well hidden. Many abandoned and dilapidated structures still existed on the city's outskirts, becoming nests of activity for villains. It wasn't the villains who truly harmed the economy of Jump; the people's own ineptitude and ignorance that was only further nourished by their belief in their Titan saviors detracted from the social issues of the city. With the Titans removed and exiled, Beast Boy could easily stage a coup within the criminal ranks and take control of the city's people and resources. He could do it all without any of them ever knowing that he was in control; it would be as though nothing had changed while the people were being secretly controlled and sapped into submission. Money was only a means to Beast Boy; power over the people and the destruction of his supposed friends were his ultimate goals. He might keep them the Titans around; he needed a challenge and people to toy with. The populace would never hope to challenge him; the Titans in all their splendid glory offered entertainment. He had waited this long to do anything so that he could build up his public image and wealth, but he could not wait any longer. Jump would soon be his to command.

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AN: I was thinking about making this a slash pairing between Red-X/Beast Boy or Slade/Beast Boy. Any suggestions?


	2. New Trophy

Disclaimer: Still do not own.

Warnings: Character death! and something far worse - kissing!

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Chapter 2: New Trophy

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Beast Boy patrolled Jump by himself that night. There hadn't been that much activity lately other than several "mysterious" burglaries.

He needed to recruit members for a team to counter the Titans. Not only would its members serve him through their talents and connections, but the idea of an "Anti-Titans" team appealed to him. All that Beast Boy needed was a serious threat that he could hold over the new members so that they would look past his dubious Titan status.

Beats Boy could use other methods of persuasion, but the bloodlust of killing was too fun to pass up. It was in his nature to hunt and kill - his animal forms lusted for blood.

Scanning from his perch on the rooftop across from the apartment complex, Beast Boy prepared himself to transform and fly into the slightly opened window. Mammoth had not been hard to find. He was a minor villain – too lowly for the Titans consider a threat, but easily traceable. Mammoth was the type of villain that the police could have captured and should have done so, but like any other criminal in the city, the people expected the Titans to take care of the criminals.

Beats Boy studied Mammoth watching TV. None of the windows in the former H.I.V.E. member's apartment were curtained, like Mammoth was inviting Beast Boy in for the kill.

Mammoth might have been a lowly villain, but his friendships to Gizmo and Jinx remained his only redeeming qualities. Too bad Beast Boy didn't need Mammoth alive to recruit the two.

Beast Boy paused and caught his breath. In. Out. He wasn't afraid of murder, he was nervous of performing a silent kill.

With one finally glance towards the open window, Beast Boy shifted into a raven and flew inside Mammoth's living room.

Sitting on the sole faded green couch in the apartment, Mammoth had been facing away from the window and did not see Beast Boy swoop in.

Nor did he hear Beast Boy change into a cat and sneak up onto the couch, perched right behind the former H.I.V.E. member's head.

Finally, Beast Boy morphed into a python and quickly jetted onto Mammoth's neck and locked him in a strangling hold. Mammoth flailed his arms and tried wresting Beast Boy away, but Beast Boy only curled tighter.

Beast Boy needed Mammoth to die – he was long past having any regrets for murder. He hissed contently in his form as Mammoth's body stopped fighting and succumbed to death.

In death, Mammoth would finally be useful.

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Beast Boy strolled cat-like into the abandoned building the next day, becoming embraced by the darkness within. Every shadow he passed by looked like it concealed Red-X. Beast Boy could not handle a betrayal now, but his paranoia didn't seem to stem from the possibility of Red-X ruining his plans. Beast Boy found the thief...entertaining? He focused on calming down, forcing himself to relax. Why was he this edgy?

The interior was devoid of light; it was as cliché as any horror film. Beast Boy half-expected some monster or fifth-rate villain to pop up from the shadows and mal him as his fears of Red-X calmed down. He didn't sense any movement, not even the patter of the weather nor scurrying rats echoed throughout the halls as he searched his theif.

There – an almost undetectable breathing could be from a nearby room, but like the rest of the building, the room was pitch-black. Beast Boy pondered if he should make some cheesy and embarrassingly heroic declaration, but instead, he casually threw the pack of Robin's weapons and technology at his target. Red-X probably already had access to Robin's tech, but the tower's security codes and data files made this meeting worth the risk for Red-X.

"Clever," Red-X whispered in a breathy drawl, before gaining confidence and speaking louder, "So why would you help a common thief like me?"

Beats Boy remained silent, waiting for Red-X to continue and at least hypothesize for himself on what Beast Boy's intentions were. Red-X never failed to be entertaining.

"Is this a set up? No, it would have been more obvious and would not have involved you. Perhaps Robin? Where is the Boy Wonder in all of this? Hello? Robin - are you there?" Red-X cackled after mentioning the boy wonder's name.

"If this had been a set up, I could easily have had you arrested yesterday. Also, I would not have been so stupid as to have given you anything of Robin's that could help criminals and all that heroic jazz. Whatever..."

Beast Boy paused, before continuing. He was thankful Red-X couldn't make out Beast Boy's nervous twitching in the dark.

"...Anyway, we need an apartment or someplace to meet that isn't as dingy and suspicious as an abandoned building. Also, I need you to contact Jinx and Gizmo to meet with us in two day's time. You already trade tech with Gizmo, and he can be easily be paid or threatened into telling you how to contact Jinx."

The Beast Boy that the Titans knew would have yelled dramatically crossed his arms, and chanted a mantra about "kicking butt." Beast Boy felt too tired to wear that mask for the thief.

"Will do, BB...So, why help me? I am...but a petty thief. A more obvious choice of whom to help would have been Slade. Or the Brain?"

"Maybe so, but it would not have been as interesting."

"Am I, a humble thief, interesting to you?"

Red-X inched closer towards Beast Boy and began to breathe down his neck. He was close, but not touching. Normal people and certainly the other Titans might not have noticed the thief's close proximity. Beast Boy's animal senses aided him also in his human form, which most of Jump's villains seemed ignorant of. Oh well - he was always thought of as the weakest Titan.

Beast Boy spun around, too quickly for Red-X to react. He gently launched his right hand to grasp Red-X's mask while his left held onto Red-X's right arm. Beast Boy could hear the increased heart beats pumping in Red-X; he could easily snap Red's right arm off or at a bare minimum, dislocate it and weaken the chances of the thief trying to defeat him.

There was no mask as he reached for it. His hand was greeted by the not quite smooth yet slightly hairy face of the thief. Instead of threatening Red-X or even mock-fighting him, Beast Boy's grip of the thief's right arm loosened as Beast Boy continued to glide his fingers against Red-X's skin.

Red-X leaned closer; his mouth almost touching Beast Boy's ear.

"Charming," Red-X's voice drawled again. The thief was too naturally flirtatious and it unnerved Beast Boy.

The thief had never done anything like this with Starfire.

Nor had he done anything like this with his obsession with Robin.

Before Beast Boy could retort, Red-X realigned his face to Beast Boy's and smashed their mouths together. It was violent, heated, and downright abusive, but seeing the advantage, Beast Boy loosened into the kiss and began massaging Red-X's lips with his tongue. Red-X's loyalty could be earned way to easily for Beast Boy.

Their tongues met in the sloppy wet collision of their mouths, but the kiss eventually eased out and fell into a playful rhythm. Apparently Red-X enjoyed the kiss, for Beast Boy could hear the faintest moan escape Red-X despite the thief's want to not express real emotions.

The thief was not as truly calm collected as he pretended to be. His tongue was too wild to ever be considered calm and reserved. It wasn't even playful like his usual demeanor; his kisses were aggressive, but died down after a while...or so Beast Boy hoped.

Once again, Red-X's teeth mashed up against Beast Boy's upper lip and ripped open small cut. As Beast Boy's salty blood began to flavor their kisses, Red-X latched his hands onto Beast Boy's neck. Before Beast Boy could set himself free, Red-X quickly let go and vanished from the building.

Beast Boy stood confused, before sharply turning and exciting the building. He had a trophy to prepare for display to his two new recruits.

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AN: Sorry for killing off Mammoth. Not really. Mourn his loss! And review.


	3. Death Became Them

Chapter 3: Death Became Them

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Beast Boy arrived at the apartment Red-X had arranged.

There was no way the thief had paid for it, it was too lived in. Photos of a family and their children adorned the place. It was cheery to the point of being taunting. Beast Boy almost felt nauseous as he opened the unlocked door and strolled into the place.

The family was upper to middle class. Red-X must have studied their habits of leaving and entering the house before stealing the key. It was a ridiculous thing to do; Beast Boy could have handled a seedy hotel. Red-X must have just jumped at the thrill of stalking and burglarizing this place. The green-skinned hero suspected that the thief would rob this family blind after they left.

A nice parting gift to a good, happy family. It almost redeemed them.

Beast Boy made his way to the living room. Red-X was standing with one foot against the wall, but Jinx and Gizmo rose as they saw him appear.

He didn't even need to bring Mammoth with and...reintroduce the friends. Based on Jinx and Gizmo's obvious tremors before him, they fully knew who had ended their friends lives.

Going by the lack of headlines over Mammoth's death, either the H.I.V.E. or his friends had dealt with the body. Beast Boy almost snickered at the thought of tiny Gizmo dragging Mammoth and burying him.

"The party can now start," Red-X paced forward towards Beast Boy.

"Yes. Jinx and Gizmo, enjoy whatever this place has to eat now. Before Red decides to steal everything here."

"I wouldn't steal everything..."

"Well obviously not the nasty green couches in this living room...I thought you would have had better taste."

"I happen to have an excellent taste in green things..." Red-X was acting too over-the-top, but Beast Boy couldn't find himself to care. An aggressively flirtatious thief somehow felt normal given the past week.

Neither Jinx or Gizmo seemed eased by their conversation. They eyed Beast Boy fearfully, as if an unsaid threat hung to the air. They were choking on that fear, barely able to speak.

It was Jinx, the leader of her former trio, that mustered the strength to address Beast Boy. "B...Beast Boy."

"Finally, you have the courage to speak. I called you here for a reason."

"Why? Why us?" Jinx's voice broke out in a whisper.

"It's not really your powers. I just liked what you symbolized...sit down."

Unsurprisingly, Red-X sat on the same couch with Beast Boy. "I choose you because you're similar to the Titans. Red is our Robin."

Red-X relaxed further into the couch, putting his arm behind Beast Boy. Seeing the thief seemed to slightly put the other two at ease.

Beast Boy continued, trying his best to fake kindness. This was his face for dealing with the public. He would use it for the time being if it would ease them. "Jinx is our Raven and Gizmo is our..."

"Cyborg." Gizmo finished, mustering the resolve to speak. "Then that leaves a Starfire."

"I could be a Starfire. But I have better curves..."

Instead of continuing to be scared, Jinx just glared at him.

Unlike Jinx, who slowly became calm, Gizmo remained fearful. "You killed Mammoth."

"He wasn't even literate enough to be considered a human being. We're your friends now."

"Heroes don't kill," Gizmo pressed on. "You shouldn't even be with the Titans...let alone outside of a prison."

"It's not like the H.I.V.E. is any better than me. You and I are both villains."

Red-X remained silent, content to just watching Beast Boy speak and verbally spar with the two other teens.

"What does being a villain mean to you?" Jinx interrupted, looking to Gizmo. Despite the short boy's technological knowledge, it was Jinx who possessed the practical knowledge to lead her former H.I.V.E. group. She knew the proper time to pick fights.

"Good question. I want to control all crime in Jump."

It sounded childish and simple, but Beast Boy's cracked inflection made it seem all the more crazed.

Jinx asked one word, all she could muster to that. "Why?"

"The war between heroes and villains will always continue. Crime will never end. I want the fame of faking being a hero and the wealth and power of a villain. I want my teammates to be puppets in a game I've created...oh wait, I'm just bored. No one kills here. There is no fatality in Jump."

"Boredom?" Gizmo coughed out, biting back his rage."

"Are you angry because you're so short? Is it a Napolean-complex?"

"You killed our friend, you sick bastard!" Gizmo yelled out before Jinx pushed him back against the couch.

"Be a nice boy or I'll have to put you in timeout for that language, Gizmo." Beast Boy laughed to himself, getting up to stand with his face mere inches from the shorter boy. "I wouldn't even have to transform into a larger snake to end you. A garden-snake could do."

"He just needs to get over Mammoth's death. Please, don't kill him." Jinx looked to him, her eyes pleading earnestly despite her usually cruel nature. Beast Boy hasn't chosen her because of her kindness, but he could offer her this small mercy.

"I need him. Like I said before, I need my Cyborg. My technological wonder." Beast Boy walked back over to his couch, letting Jinx deal with Gizmo.

Red-X finally spoke, "You still haven't told us our purpose...our purpose for a team that is even missing a Starfire."

"We will become Jump's best and only criminals. You could almost say we're good guys...in that sexy anti-hero kind of way."

"You said you wanted to control this city's crime. You didn't say anything about ending it." Jinx spoke, her hold on Gizmo easing as he calmed down.

He wouldn't attack, but his temper might still be baited.

"That I did."

"That includes the thieving, but also the drugs..." Jinx gulped. "We're just teens."

"Really? You're worried about drugs when I murdered your friend?"

"You're not going to finish more people though."

"That was my entire plan. We're cleaning up and replacing all of the villains and heroes in this city. I have chosen you three to help me and live. I will find a fourth eventually and may leave that to someone of your choosing. Other than us, all of the criminals will be cleaned away by the end of the year."

"That's insane and impossible. We'll die. We can't fight the likes of Slade."

"A child can't fight Slade, but a psychotic thief, a crazed shapeshifter, and two former H.I.V.E. members whose minds have deteriorated by the death of their friend are not children. We're lunatics set loose on a kid's playground."

"Do Gizmo and I have a choice to say no?"

"Just because this apartment around us looks so nice doesn't mean I am. It is just as disposable as you."

"Will we live through this?" Gizmo spoke, his anger dying away into melancholy.

"You've lived this far."

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"How long do you think we'll live?" Gizmo asked his pink-haired friend. The two had gone back to the boy genius' home and were currently surrounded by a nest of computers and wires.

"We don't have a choice." Jinx sighed.

"We could ask someone for help."

"Then that someone would just become Beast Boy's next target."

Unlike before, Gizmo felt no anger towards Jinx. "He can't be that powerful. The Beast Boy who I helped erase Cyborg's virus was an idiot."

Jinx looked at him, almost sadly. Gizmo still couldn't get over Mammoth's death nor could he understand the current criminal order. "He has changed and it's best we change with him."

"We'll die."

"I think it's clear the other villains, our friends...will die."

"So you really believe what he said? What's his motive, Jinx? You're just accepting a whole lot of crazy."

Gizmo almost couldn't look at her, his irritation swimming through him. He could never hate his friend, for their bond had lasted years. She was all that was left of his team.

"I don't know why he's doing anything. He danced around answering us for a reason."

"What about Red-X? How does he fit into all of this?"

"Probably just like us. I think we should be more concerned on who the fifth member of our team, our 'Starfire,' will be. Someone else in Jump will live."

"It should have been Mammoth!" Gizmo cried out. His emotions bubbling to the front once again.

He hadn't taken Mammoth's death well. It might not even have been the friendship that he truly mourned; Mammoth's death was a symbol. Their childhood had ended and Gizmo was desperately clinging to not growing up.

"You'll forget about him. Beast Boy was at least clear about rewards."

"The rewards...what is wrong with you?" He spoke not out of anger, but a poignant sadness. Jinx had too quickly changed with this new world. Death became her.

"I'm not going to die. We can be rich, Gizmo. We can get revenge on anyone we wanted. We can finally stop acting like little kiddies playing a game of superheroes." The last part sounded bitter, but Gizmo didn't know who it was directed towards.

"The Titans will find out."

"Who knows if there will even be a Titans by the end of the year. We could be both this cities' heroes and villains. We'll replace them..." Jinx seemed to be onto something, pausing and looking away from her partner. "We're replacing them. We're new gods who have arisen to overthrow the Titans."

They didn't know what Beast Boy completely wanted, but a the promise of a new world hung in the air. It would be a world without old rules and older fears. A generation of Titans and villains would be replaced. Beast Boy might never be clear about his purpose, but he was definitely breaking them into a new, crueller world.

Gizmo could never fully accept that brave new world. He would serve Beast Boy alongside Jinx, but the past clung to him.

* * *

Returning to the Tower had Beast Boy on the edge the entire time he flew home. He had chosen to fly as a robin, stopping at parks to rest and admire the pockets of nature within the city. Even in the blandness of Jump, there existed places of beauty.

He took as much time as he could before returning home. Dealing with Gizmo and Jinx had taken away his energy to lie to his fellow Titans. He would sleep when he got home.

He swept into the Tower and avoided his teammates, making a beeline to his room. He was too exhausted to notice another Titan find his way into Beast Boy's room.

Without even a moment to compose himself, Beast Boy was interrupted by Robin. The green hero had to remind himself that Robin's time would not be ended now; otherwise, he would have quickly dealt with the annoyance. He just didn't want to lie and seduce the boy wonder today.

"Beast Boy..." Robin whispered out, kindness warming his words.

"Yes, dude?" Maybe he didn't have to affect kindness; his persona was essentially just saying 'dude' and 'bro' a lot. Beast Boy almost laughed.

"I...I wanted to talk to you."

"Cyborg is gaming if you want to join him."

Beast Boy knew that Robin wouldn't just take the suggestion and leave. The boy blunder wanted something from him.

"I have something to tell you. Can I sit down?"

Beast Boy was still laying on his bead, but rolled slightly to the edge to give Robin room to sit. "Go ahead, dude."

"BB...we've known each other for a while."

"It's been years, yes." Beast Boy couldn't help but be sarcastic. He might have been too tired to be angry, but he wasn't tired enough to not realize where this was going. Weeks of flirting and manipulating Robin were culminating now, which was the worst day.

"I...I think I know what you're going to say." Beast Boy continued, trying to affect the same quivering tone as Robin. He got up and sat next to the boy, sitting mere inches away.

"I didn't think you knew."

"I've been trying to get your attention for a while." He moved closer, his eyes closing.

Robin unceremoniously jammed their mouths together. It was awkwardly and so much like a teenager. All Beast Boy could comfort himself was with thoughts of Robin's eventual elimination. He only needed to play the part of Robin's boyfriend until he could defeat both the city's villains and the Titans. Hopefully, that distraction wouldn't have to continue long.

Beast Boy tried thinking of his plans for the city as Robin slowly forced his tongue into Beast Boy's mouth, but his mind suddenly changed to a vision of Red-X. In his thoughts, the thief seemed to be smirking at him.

It was as if the thief knew whose feelings Beast Boy truly possessed. Unlike the crude, teenager affections of Robin, Red-X was a darker desire. It was an attraction of obsession and psychosis, someone who had seen Beast Boy for who he truly was and still kept watching.

Red-X and Robin, man and child. Beast Boy's madness could only choose one, choosing the life that Red-X entailed.

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AN: It has taken two years, but I will finally start to write and finish this story. The feedback was amazing.


	4. Months of Planning and Years of Hate

Chapter 4: Months of Planning and Years of Hate.

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Although Beast Boy had arrived back at the Tower around the afternoon, Robin had too quickly dropped the rest of his training for the day to sleep and cuddle with the green boy.

It made Beast Boy absolutely sick. With every kiss, he bit back the disgust brewing within his body.

Not even a lifetime of romance novels could prepare anyone for Robin's trite attempts at declaring his love. Robin acted all too their age and it deeply bothered Beast Boy. Robin was either completely normal and Beast Boy was the weird one or years of living with the Batman had made the boy wonder desperate for affection.

Robin was awkward; his kisses were more so jabs in battle than tender expressions of love. Beast Boy almost wished the rumors of Batman being involved with his protegé had been true; it would have made the boy wonder at least a decent kisser. Somehow he didn't think saying 'kiss me like Batman kisses you' would have gone over too well...

Beast Boy blinked at Robin, watching the older teen move behind him.

"I've never felt this way before, BB." Robin whispered into his ear, nibbling it before forcing another kiss onto him. It was an assault and all Beast Boy could do was fake his way through. Robin would become suspicious otherwise.

If Beast Boy would have pushed the brooding detective away, questions would be raised. His once free schedule, which allowed him to meet with his new team, would be watched. Robin would seek the root of any angry outburst. He's rather have a Robin who wanted to waste all of his time than a Robin made self-aware of how he was acting.

So he faked it. He smiled and beamed at Robin, petting his hair before planting softer, more sensual kisses of his own. "Me too, Robin."

Robin held him, still forcefully as if Beast Boy was a bird that was suddenly and quite violently caged. He had once found his manipulation of Robin's feelings to be fun. Now, all he wanted was freedom.

He couldn't kill Robin; not yet. But maybe he could nudge Robin out of this situation...and not out of the nearest window. They were still in Beast Boy's bed as the afternoon hours had died away into the night. He needed sleep and not a forced show of comfort for the boy blunder.

"Rob, what will Starfire think?" The question seemed to catch Robin off-guard.

"What do you mean?" His voice registered a little lower, a little too much more possessive for Beast Boy's comfort.

"She loves you."

"I love you." Robin wrapped his arms around his chest, pushing them together yet keeping their faces slightly apart. They were not kissing for what seemed like the first time in hours.

The air felt exquisite.

"She always looks at me weirdly. I don't think she'll handle this...us well." For an extra measure, he added, "I just love you too much to lose you."

"Starfire isn't jealous."

"I feel like I'm always fighting with her for your time. She rarely ever leaves your side..."

"BB, you're the one who sounds jealous," Robin planted a kiss on his forehead. "It's cute though. It suits how cutely green you are."

Oh, Robin would meet a terrible end. Beast Boy promised that to himself.

"Listen to me. She won't take this well."

"She's a member of the team and our friend. She will accept this."

Robin was not backing off. Beast Boy needed an exit before Robin started permanently living in his quarters.

"Okay, Rob. But...can we sleep apart tonight? I'm...self-conscious about myself."

At this point, he didn't have a plan to get rid of Robin. He was going to have to meet Red-X later tonight and was not past word-vomitting whatever worked to get rid of the older teen.

"You shouldn't be...I love you just the way you are."

Robin was so sappy, Beast Boy was tempted to just transform into a fly then retransform into a dinosaur in his mouth. Baby bird was going the explode if he kept up this level of chessiness.

"Can you though? Please?"

Robin snuggled once again, but succumbed. "Alright. I want to be able to cuddle with you. Being close with you helped me get through a tough day."

By that, Robin meant a tough day of training. The boy wonder would be horrified to learn of Beast Boy's tough day: plotting the deaths of the Teen Titans. Threatening Jinx and Gizmo was tough, not doing showy acrobatic flips across the Tower's gym.

"I'll miss you." Beast Boy stood up and led Robin to the door, planting a kiss on the older teen's lips.

His plan to seduce Robin was only going to complicate his criminal life further. Robin must be kept in romantic bliss, because the boy seemed to be teetering into an obsession with stalking Beast Boy. Robin could not follow and watch him.

It would ruin months of planning and years of hate.

* * *

This time, Red-X had chosen a park to meet up. The apartment from earlier that morning had already been reported as being burglarized, but there were no suspects.

Red-X didn't get caught unless he wanted a fight. Beast Boy hadn't ever realized just how good Red-X was at stealing. The thief only got caught when he wanted the Teen Titans to show up. He found their absurdity fun; the reward even sweeter when the Titans had lost.

Beast Boy had underestimated him.

In the dark of the park, Beast Boy's heightened senses found Red-X. His smell of the thief was becoming stronger, as if he was branding his husky scent into the green hero's mind. By contrast, Robin smelt sweaty to the point of being spoiled. He couldn't help but feel distaste for the boy blunder.

Unlike Robin, there was no one like Red-X. That statement should have felt just as cheesy as what he said to Robin, but somehow when describing Red-X, it felt all the more mysterious and enigmatic.

Red-X was Batman-like in his mystery and commandment of the night. Robin was a teen, but more so a boy, too scared and paranoid to inspire that kind of beauty.

"So what did you think of my little show this morning?" Beast Boy broke the silence, walking over to the park bench that Red-X sat on. The park was decently covered in larger trees, masking the streetlights around it. They were in a more upscale neighborhood, so there probably wasn't anyone sleeping in the park. The park was new and kept, nothing like the abandoned building they had first met it. Even the bench was as sleek as the thief himself.

Beast Boy felt his most normal in the dark. At night, during the darkest of hours, his green skin couldn't be made out. He could pass for a regular human. Red-X and him must have looked normal right now; two lovers caught in the night's sweet embrace...

He did not just think that. Dealing with Robin was warping his senses. Only a fool would project his false feelings for the boy blunder onto the closest male. Red-X was his new teammate, nothing more.

The silence of the night mocked Beast Boy's thoughts, but luckily Red-X cleared his throat and started speaking.

"I don't know what your motives are. Not completely."

"It doesn't matter." Beast Boy looked out onto the shadows of grass and listened to the sound of nature all alive around him. It was inviting and anxious.

"I don't risk my live for just anyone." Red-X inched closer. Beast Boy fully knew he could act on where this was leading. He could ensnare Red-X. He could also be a better man and push him away.

Thankfully, Beast Boy was a selfish man.

"Then why do it? I didn't have to threaten you. You know I could kill you. I could become a lion and maim you."

Beast Boy turned back, moving closer to the thief and continued. "But you still don't fear me, despite all of that. You welcome me."

"You wouldn't kill me."

Speckled light from the stars illuminated Beast Boy's eyes. Red-X still wore his mask, but he had never seen the thief so vulnerable.

"I have killed, you know."

"I haven't seen it. You could just have known about his death in advance and used it. You are a liar, especially to your friends."

Beast Boy flicked his tongue, biting back his surprise. "You know I did it."

"True, but I didn't see it. I want to see what makes you a self-confessed new breed of criminal. I want to see your work."

The green hero didn't know if they were seconds from kissing or waging an all-out war on each other. The mood was tense, but playfully so. He didn't feel disgusted like he did with Robin. The boy blunder was predictable and simplistic; Red-X was always fresh, beaming with the cool energy of the night around them.

A lesser man or woman would have easily done anything for the thief. Beast Boy must maintain some sense of dominance as the leader. He wanted to say no, but his darkened urges surged in the presence of the thief.

Months of planning and years of hate boiled into minutes of intoxication merely being around Red-X.

He needed to regain composure. "I will prove it. Name a villain and I will finish it."

"I didn't come here empty-handed...and before you speak, no I didn't bring something I stole from that apartment. Well, not exactly..."

Red-X rose, reaching out his hand. Beast Boy grasped it, letting himself be led out of the clearing behind a set of trees next to them. Within this grouping of tress, there was a small enclosed space.

In the light of the stars, he saw a fat bound teen before them.

Control Freak still looked greasy in the night. His eyes searched wildly, his gag humming as he tried to scream.

"It hasn't even been a full-day since I've unveiled my plan and you brought me him."

"You might be a better killer than me, but you missed whose apartment we met in. Control Freak, like any villain, has a family."

Beast Boy walked towards Control Freak, ripping the gag from his mouth.

"Thank you! Save me from this freak!"

"You think I'm going to save you?"

Beast Boy kicked the bound villain, before turning towards Red-X. "I don't know what to say."

"The don't say anything. Enjoy."

"I...I..." Beast Boy ignored Control Freak's flailing and looked up at the thief. He quickly moved his mask to unveil his mouth.

Red-X leaned forward, slowly pressing his lips on Beast Boy's neck, before trickling up and finally dominating his lips. Red-X pushed away, watching a beguiled Beast Boy gasp for air.

Robin could take hours and only arouse his disgust, but Red-X unwound his cool dominance in seconds.

Control Freak had stopped moving, confused by the situation. This should have been his opportunity to escape.

"I don't know what came over me." Beast Boy paused, forcing himself to turn and face Control Freak.

"Red, you're such a good boy taking me on a date and...dinner." Joking helped ease the slip in his judgement.

Red-X didn't say anything, for he didn't need to. Underneath that mask, Beast Boy knew he would be smirking. The thief had won.

Beast Boy laughed out, transforming into a lion.

Control Freak, even if his restraints were let loose, could never have outrun Beast Boy. His screams became muted, blurring in the sounds of a city welcoming its darkest child at night.

Death became Beast Boy. The night clung to its new champion.

* * *

AN: To prove my dedication to finishing this story, I've updated within a day of my last chapter. Thank you again for the positive feedback. I also have another chapter that will be uploaded tomorrow.


	5. Truly Odd, but Boldly Beautiful

Chapter 5: Truly Odd, but Boldly Beautiful

* * *

Beast Boy didn't know how long they stayed in the park. He had never felt this content, this full...

It was so romantically sweet and dangerously horrifying.

Of course, they had moved away from what remained of Control Freak. No police had arrived, but Red-X assured Beast Boy that he would deal with it.

"Let's just walk, Red."

Red-X had readjusted his mask, taking Beast Boy by the hand as they walked around the park and onto the streets. It was several hours past midnight. Few people would be out; it was a little past clubbing and too early for even the early-risers. There would be no dog-walkers to stumble upon Control Freak's body for several hours.

Logically, Beast Boy should have instantly cared for hiding the body, but that bliss, dark and enigmatic as the thief before him, blinded him to such concerns.

"I didn't think you would do it, BB." Red-X said as they crossed the street and walked by various houses in the more well-to-do neighborhood. If the cops were called on them, Beast Boy could fake trying to capture Red-X. Being a well-established hero blinded people to the absurdity of him being out at this time in the hand of a well-known thief.

"I told you that I'm a killer."

"I know, but I expected you to make me do it."

Beast Boy laughed without sounding crazy despite the situation. For a second, he could just close his eyes and pretend that everything was normal, but he no longer cared for normalcy.

He relished crime and chaos.

"Is that too dirty for a thief?"

"What? I don't exactly have the teeth to eat a man."

"No, but you certainly have the mouth to." Beast Boy snickered, making himself more assertive than when he was with Robin. He was too passive with the boy blunder.

Red-X kept him active and anxious, but he selfishly loved it.

They passed in silence for a few more blocks, before Red-X spoke. "Do you really think you can take on Jump's villains? That sounds too heroic. Because I was totally fine with the murder."

Both of them laughed, but the green hero caught the serious first half of what Red-X said. "Only Slade could be a real problem. The H.I.V.E. might not even care to become involved in this city anymore, beyond hiding Mammoth's body."

"You didn't hide it? Aren't you worried?"

"Says the man who left Control Freak's mangled body back at the park. I thought your mom taught you to clean up after yourself, young man."

Red-X laughed before calming down. "Jinx is taking care of him. She was eager to prove herself useful."

"She's taken to our cause quickly. I wouldn't be surprised for her to gift me a hand-sewn outfit made from what's left of the nerd." In another life, Beast Boy would have never even said that jokingly.

"But still...what if the H.I.V.E. retaliates? Gizmo is upset over Mammoth's death. I don't think Jinx would betray you, but she was their leader."

"That academy has been shut down. I don't know what remains of the other two H.I.V.E. Five members Jinx led, but I could test her by assigning her their deaths...or kidnappings. More importantly, Gizmo needs to be broken."

"You're really going to keep the midget? It's almost cruel..." Red-X mockingly gasped.

"He is our Cyborg. Jinx and him have history and I want to see how it plays out. Our Starfire won't be as interesting as how messed up those two may become."

"It'll be Blackfire, right?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure where to find her. Robin's intel and Cyborg's technology aren't the best at tracking an alien princess."

"I've never met her, but you could easily find out from the villains you'll fight. You might be able to combine your goals and conceal your murders as but a consequence of your quest to find her."

"Hmm...I'll think about it. Torture doesn't sound as fun as a...somewhat fair...fight."

"Control Freak tied up behind the tress wasn't fair."

"Control Freak given an atomic bomb still wouldn't be fair. Some villains here are just that inept."

They laughed together, aware of only each other in the night. There was no sights worth seeing beyond each other's bodies.

"So what happens when we remain the last villains here?"

"You're such a mysterious man, but you won't let me keep my secrets, will you?"

"I trust you."

Beast Boy didn't respond, but there was an implication in his stance that he felt the same way. Red-X just seemed to instantly understand.

"Red, even if this was something as simple as a revenge quest, I know you would still help me."

"I would."

"Then let me keep my secrets. Unlike Gizmo, I would be bothered if you died."

With that, they walked in silence, but still with the same bliss from before. They both would squeeze each other's hands as they watched the light pour into the darkness, welcoming a new morning in Jump.

In the light, they were truly odd, but boldly beautiful together. Beast Boy wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Starfire paced in the kitchen, waiting for Raven or Cyborg to show up. It hadn't gone unnoticed that Robin had immediately left her to chase after Beast Boy.

Even though she was the true alien, it was Beast Boy who looked the part. He was too different...she had never even met an alien race like the green, fanged freak. He was no good for Robin.

Robin was meant for her. Starfire was made for her leader. Their romance could have been as simple as the plot of a children's TV show, but Beast Boy, that unknown green variable had broken the beauty of that dream.

Beast Boy, with his weird cat-like movements had seduced Robin. Starfire had worked for Robin's affections, putting on a bubbly personality and even ditzier attire. She was a hot alien fantasy that no one could resist; Robin shouldn't have been a challenge.

Disrupting her thoughts, Raven flew into the room to sit on the couch. She nodded as she passed Starfire, cracking the slightest smile. A less observant person would have missed it. The alien was too trained from noticing body signals from observing Robin. Raven considered her a friend and could be used against Beast Boy.

"Raven! My friend!"

Starfire flew over, gliding herself next to Raven. She could fake joy easily. The joy at seizing Robin drove her.

Raven sensed Starfire's happiness, which in turn, eased her own dour demeanor. "Starfire, how are you?"

"Raven, Robin is away with Beast Boy making strange noises like the wild call of a Klaborgac hunt."

Half the time, Starfire just made up random alien-sounding words to disorient her teammates. It didn't take much for them to underestimate her. She was trapped in this world and would fully establish herself in it not as a queen, but as the wife of the Titan's leader. She could wait years for Robin to blossom into the new Batman and control the League. The old heroes would die out and she would join her Robin in becoming them.

"Ah...Starfire..." Raven said awkwardly. Perhaps Starfire should have said something a little more naïve. She had somehow slipped an innuendo into alien gobbledigook.

"Robin had promised himself to me during the flowering season."

She loved playing ignorant. Her crazed alien sayings were worthy of any of the reality TV shows she watched. Her romance was all the more dramatic and stronger. Unlike those women, she truly knew Robin would be hers. Beast Boy would be nullified.

"Star...it's okay to be jealous."

"What is this jealousy you speak of?"

Sure it had been years since her arrival on Earth, but she loved how awkward she could make Raven. The witch's emotions were easier to play with than Robin's. Every word Starfire spoke twisted Raven's nerves and revealed how all-too-human the witch was.

"You want Robin...for the flowering season. He's already been pollinated by Beast Boy."

Instead of asking another question, Starfire slightly slipped and quickly retorted. "I'm sure Robin would be the one doing the pollinating."

Raven hadn't missed how self-aware that momentary slip and flash in her eyes had been.

"I shouldn't have asked." Starfire attempted to get up but Raven grasped her arm and stopped her.

"You don't need him, Starfire. Some people just aren't worth it."

"I don't understand. Maybe I'll ask Cyborg."

Starfire tried flying away but Raven clasped harder. "Listen me, Starfire. Robin is a lost cause. Maybe you've been looking for the wrong...flower."

Raven was a mongrel who had no right tainting her. She had no right twisting her words. Robin was hers to possess; she would not be owned by a common hocus pocus witch.

"I can't do this." Starfire ripped herself away from Raven and flew away, not caring to find Cyborg. She needed to think and plan.

In her quest for Robin, their would be struggles along the way. Raven must be ignored or dealt with.

Later that night, images of her tormentors possessed her dreams. The faces of Beast Boy and Raven taunted her. Eventually, in the haze of her subconscious, Raven's face dominated her mind and ensnared her last dream as she woke to a new morning, sweaty and panting. Her energy had been sapped, her mind felt broken.

In her dreams, Raven and her were dark and too human for her to handle. Starfire couldn't fathom what reality that could have been possible. There was no light in the dark, foreboding dreams of Raven. The witch was a dark, demonic being unlike the saintly grace of her Robin. Robin and her romance would be cemented in the bright flash of their fans and glory.

* * *

As Jinx cleaned her clothes of Control's Freak's blood, she couldn't help but feel as if someone was watching her. That feeling was made all the more weirder that a new morning had welcomed itself, beaming its lights through the windows of her home.

"I wonder what he did with Mammoth's body." Jinx spoke to herself, drying her hands in the kitchen sink. "Maybe I would have wanted to say goodbye."

She looked out of the windows at the skies, letting the light hit her otherwise gloomy face. It was warm and radiant, a new alien feeling descending upon her. The light eased her nerves.

She could find a new life with Beast Boy and Red-X. That team would become a family. That team would command power. For a moment, even her fears of losing Gizmo were lost.

The weeds of villains in Jump would be plucked. In some ways, she was almost becoming a hero, nevermind the lingering images in her head of Control Freak. She could learn to fully believe Beast Boy's vision for Jump, as unclear as it was.

Even what remained of the H.I.V.E. would soon be over. An entire part of her life would be erased. She felt free for the first time since she had become a villain.

In the light, she was truly odd, but boldly beautiful and terrifying. She was a self-realized psychopath and an extraordinarily cheery person.

* * *

AN: I updated again. I'm on a roll. Again, what villains would you like to see appear in this story? I probably can't cover most, so who would you most like to see?


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